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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 31: Campbell Incident (3)
Just before impact.
It was clear that the entrance to the great church was narrower than the Alpha Demonic.
This is the entrance to the robustly constructed Campbell Church.
It wasn't built assuming a siege, but what would happen if a creature ran at full speed and crashed into that thick stone wall?
The side that crashed would be shattered.
That's a logical assumption.
But the Alpha Demonic is an anomaly that openly mocks such natural common sense.
Kwaaaaaang!
Upon impact, the stone wall crumbled. No, it was flung away.
The stone wall, which would have withstood even a battering ram, was flung outwards, crushing the citizens inside.
"Kyaaaaaak!"
"P-people!"
Colliding with the flung barricades and bricks, casualties occurred here and there.
And the same was true for the choir.
"Sister Idora!"
Though not a direct hit, Sister Idora, who was struck by debris, was part of the choir possessing the Ability of Hymns.
Furthermore, the citizens who had been singing in the choir also fell into a panic before the suddenly intruding Alpha Demonic.
"R-run away!"
The citizens fled.
Seeing this, Henry urgently shouted.
"No! If the hymns stop, the barrier will...!"
But it was already too late.
The injury of Sister Idora, who was exercising the Ability of Hymns, and the flight of the choir.
Bishop Yuna, who had been maintaining the Power of Protection for over ten hours, could not overcome the backlash from the rapidly draining holy power.
"Kuhuk...!"
Bishop Yuna sank down, exhaling a breath.
Soon, the protection barrier lost its light, and the Demonics noticed this.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaak!"
The six-limbed monsters surged forward with monstrous screams. Ray shouted.
"Jenny, Henry! Stop them!"
Ray threw the crossbow he was holding to Henry.
"There are only three quivers, so use them sparingly!"
"What about you?"
"I have to stop that thing!"
Ray gazed at the massive Demonic that had penetrated deep into the church.
A beast the size of an elephant, yet faster than a jaguar in its movements, had been looking around for something for a while now.
And its gaze was directed towards the sanctuary's altar. It was Bishop Yuna, who had been manifesting the Power of Protection.
The beast was searching for something.
The target it had to eliminate first to destroy this church was to kill the bishop.
"Kyaak!"
The Alpha Demonic charged towards Bishop Yuna. J
ust as its fist swung towards Bishop Yuna.
"You son of a...!"
Ray's dropkick struck its side. It wasn't a normal dropkick.
It was a heavy blow launched with leaping power that surpassed human limits, thanks to the 〈Sun's Blessing〉.
Its power was enough to instantly kill a bear. But there was no satisfying impact. Ray's expression contorted.
'Why is it so hard?!'
The Demonics they had faced until now, despite their large size, had soft skin.
This was because they had not undergone a normal growth process but were rapidly grown by spells, leaving them unhardened.
"Kick...!"
The monster's eyes turned towards Ray.
He hesitated for a moment at the chilling gaze, then retreated to avoid the barrage of fists, but miscalculated the reach.
"Huh...!"
It's long.
This bastard, despite its brutish appearance, has incredible elasticity in its limbs.
The moment Ray felt a sense of crisis, the holy sword reflected the moonlight.
Chwaaaak!
A pure white holy sword cut through the swinging fist. It was Aaron's sword.
"Snap out of it! Even a graze will kill you!"
"Almost died! Thanks!"
"Don't shorten your words, you insolent brat!"
Is there time to argue about that?
But their conversation couldn't continue beyond that.
Avoiding the fist swung by the Alpha Demonic, the two desperately ran.
The Alpha Demonic with a slashed arm tried to pursue them wildly and flailed its arms towards the two.
"Pillars!"
Aaron pointed at the large and heavy pillars supporting the great church.
Realizing what he meant, Ray moved behind a pillar.
Kung!
This time, the pillars did not break easily.
These are thick pillars supporting a church of this size.
They couldn't not be sturdy.
"Now!"
Stopped by colliding with the pillar, the two swung their holy weapons towards the Alpha Demonic.
Sword and handaxe flashed, striking the Alpha Demonic's leg.
Kyaaaaaak!
The Alpha Demonic let out a painful scream.
But that was all.
The blades did not penetrate its hide as much as they expected.
"It's thick! As expected, without the 〈Sun's Blessing〉...!"
Aaron instinctively knew that with strength only slightly stronger than a normal human's, he couldn't penetrate the monster's hide.
Wait a minute.
Then, why did the Alpha Demonic scream so painfully?
Chwak!
Blood splattered from the axe he pulled out.
The monster's blood, which had soaked deep into the blade, was vivid.
Ray's axe had definitely pierced the Alpha Demonic's hide.
'Incredible strength. I've thought this before, but it's like he receives the 〈Sun's Blessing〉 even at night.'
Of course, that wouldn't be the case. The 〈Sun's Blessing〉 only provides its favor in broad daylight.
However, it was proven that Ray could pierce the Alpha Demonic's thick hide.
If so, the main attacker was Ray.
The two quickly exchanged glances, then attacked the Alpha Demonic from different directions.
Aaron aimed for the front, and Ray aimed for the back, trying to distract the Alpha from its blind spot.
And, by fortunate coincidence, almost simultaneously, their sword and axe attacked the Alpha Demonic's leg.
"Kick!"
The Alpha Demonic was unable to decide between the two and roared as it turned its head.
At that moment, Ray jumped with all his might and climbed onto the Alpha's back.
"Hooub...!"
He inhaled and brought the axe down in one swift motion.
The Alpha Demonic who was struck in the back, thrashed violently to shake off Ray but Ray barely held on by clinging to the axe.
"Ugh, Ueoh! Ueoeoeoeok!"
"Hold on!"
Aaron leaped towards the Alpha.
If cutting didn't work, he would thrust by adding his weight and pushing with all his might.
Aaron succeeded in thrusting the holy sword into the Alpha Demonic's belly as intended.
However...
'It's too thick! Is it impossible even with the holy sword's compatibility!'
Although it was a holy relic, it was a mass-produced item distributed to the apprentice members.
Even if he thrust the holy sword all the way in, given this size, it was no different than sticking in a toothpick.
"Kyaak!"
Still, perhaps it stung, as the Alpha Demonic swung its palm as if swatting away a fly.
"Kuh...!"
But even that was a life-threatening attack to Aaron.
Aaron tried to pull out the sword and get away, but the sword, which was embedded in the Alpha Demonic's body and it wouldn't budge easily.
"Uh..."
His body froze as he was unable to dodge in time.
With a thud! the sound of flesh tearing was heard, and Aaron's body tumbled wildly through the church.
"Aaron!"
Ray shouted Aaron's name, but there was no response.
Instead, the Alpha Demonic grabbed Ray, who was clinging to its back.
"Oh."
The Alpha Demonic grinned as if it had caught a gnat in its grasp.
It seemed to be smiling gleefully at the thought of executing the gnat that had been bothering it.
"Ugh...!"
Ray struggled, but there was no way to escape the grasp of a monster ten times his size.
"Brother Ray!"
Bishop Yuna, who had been watching this, painfully rose and exerted the Power of Protection.
She had no power for offense, but the Power of Protection pushes away its surroundings in the process of deploying the barrier.
Kung!
The Alpha Demonic hesitated.
Its skin burned upon touching the holy barrier that incinerated the unholy.
"Kyaaaaa..."
This was why it had tried to deal with her first.
The Alpha Demonic threw Ray against the wall and then charged towards Bishop Yuna, avoiding the barrier.
"B-Bishop!"
"Lord Sol Invictus is my protector!"
Bishop Yuna spread the barrier wide.
Fortunately, it was faster than the Alpha Demonic's swinging fist.
Kung!
With a dizzying impact, the whole barrier shook.
The barrier didn't break, but the citizens huddled behind Bishop Yuna were filled with terror.
Kung! Kung kung! Kung!
The Alpha Demonic swung its fists as it pleased.
Normally, she would have been able to withstand it, but Bishop Yuna was not in a normal state now.
Although she had received backup from the Ability of Hymns, she had maintained the barrier surrounding the great church for ten consecutive hours.
She had already overexerted herself sufficiently in her old age.
'I have to hold on. Because my brothers and sisters are still fighting.'
Bishop Yuna could not give up until the very last moment.
Her brothers and sisters in faith, younger than her, were fighting against the demonics.
They had not fallen, so how could she, an old woman, fall first?
"Uh, Uaaa..."
"Please... Lord Sol Invictus, please save us..."
More than anything, behind her were hundreds of followers trembling in fear.
A priest is a shepherd leading the flock, and must guide them and protect them from the wolf's teeth.
Even if she could not protect herself from the wolf's maw.
Bishop Yuna squeezed out her holy power to the limit, confronting the Alpha Demonic's attacks.
However, with the choir also stopped now, the time she could hold out was not much...
Paaang!
It was the sound of air exploding.
A fast, sharp sound slicing through space.
It struck the Alpha Demonic's back fiercely.
"Kyaaaaaak!"
The Alpha Demonic, hit by an attack exceeding the speed of sound, let out a painful scream.
Who in the world? How?
Could cut through the Alpha Demonic's hide, harder than steel, and cause it pain?
"Brother Ray!"
Turning around, they saw Ray Anderson, bleeding profusely, grinning and recovering the 'iron whip'.
"Does it hurt? I hurt like hell too."
It was an iron whip made by grinding down holy relic storage boxes. But that alone did not explain this power.
The Alpha Demonic realized that the wound it had suffered from the iron whip was melting.
"Aww, dang~ I bled a lot thanks to you."
It was sacred blood.
Ray had swung the iron whip after soaking it completely in his own blood.
With a skilled flick of his wrist, Ray swung the iron whip, initiating a powerful attack.
Paaang!
Each time the iron whip, causing a sonic boom, struck the Alpha Demonic, it created shallow wounds, and sacred blood seeped into them.
To a human, it was like being cut with a fruit knife and then having hydrochloric acid poured into the wound.
The Alpha Demonic screamed in pain and pushed forward with its bulk.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaak!"
A whip is a powerful weapon, but a difficult one to handle.
Even more so while dodging attacks that would kill you with a mere graze.
"Chiik...!"
Ray's judgment was quick.
He immediately discarded the whip and took out new equipment attached to his coat.
One handaxe, five daggers.
He stabbed his palm to draw blood and threw the daggers soaked in sacred blood.
Kakang!
Even thrown with the 〈Sun's Blessing〉, they didn't even scratch it.
Then he had to use a weapon with more mass.
"Dieeeeee!!"
Ray gripped the handaxe soaked in sacred blood with both hands and swung it.
The axe struck the Alpha Demonic's fist just as it was swinging its own.
"Kyaaaaaak!"
Despite the pain, the Alpha Demonic did not stop.
It continued to swing its fist and finally struck Ray.
"Kuk!"
Ray was sent flying into the air. Before the impact even subsided, he pulled a beaker from his pocket.
It was a beaker filled with sacred blood.
"You came to the church; You should at least get a free meal!"
He threw the beaker towards the Alpha Demonic's mouth.
However, the beaker, thrown in haste, shattered on the Alpha Demonic's shoulder or face.
Of course, the sacred blood from Ray was a bonus, spilling onto its outer skin.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaak!"
The Alpha Demonic felt even more pain as the sacred blood seeped into the wounds it had received here and there.
The thoroughly enraged Alpha Demonic struck the defenseless Ray and slammed him into the floor.
"Kuk!"
"Kraaaaaaaaaak!"
Six arms flailed in a fit of rage.
The ground was crushed, and the impact resonated as if there were an earthquake.
It was a horrifying series of blows, enough for everyone to turn their eyes away.
"It hurts...! You bastardddddddd!"
But Ray wasn't just taking the hits. He met the barrage of fists with his own fists.
"Holding the shield of faith! Consuming the wicked with fiery arrows! The helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit! Soon I will possess the words of Lord Sol Invictus!"
It might have been a meaningless prayer.
But Ray... no, Pastor Kim had seen the berserkers of Germany create miracles with just their shouts.
Shouting is important.
A person's strong will creates miracles.
And Ray Anderson's miracles have a clear equation, allowing them to be manifested with certainty.
"Fight—"
A resolute and firm voice echoed through the great church.
Everyone, human and monster alike, unintentionally strained their ears to listen to the voice.
"The! De! Mons! And! Fight! Sin! Cast off! Brothers!"
"A hymn?"
It was a hymn.
Even in this situation, even in this moment of such despair, the boy holding the golden star of faith was singing a hymn.
To fight against the monsters, singing a miracle with a shout, with his voice.
···············
And what responded to that voice was Ray's unexpected necklace.
As the gold plating fell off during the rapid-fire exchange with the Alpha Demonic, the brass beneath resonated with Ray's holy power and began to glow on its own.
It was a 'golden light.'
"Kick!"
The Alpha Demonic shielded its eyes from the intense light pouring down before them.
The brass star... no, the golden star necklace resonated with Ray, pouring out brilliant holy power.
【──】
It was the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit residing in the golden star spoke of the miracle of the 'Golden Saint' residing in Ray.
"Really?"
Nod.
This is crazy.
What in the world did you give me?
Ray clashed with the Alpha Demonic with the immense holy power manifested by the resonance of the 〈Sun's Blessing〉, the Ability of Hymns, and the golden star.
But it wasn't just the holy relic and the holy power resonating with him.
"The Lord Sol Invictus... is my shepherd; I shall not want..."
These were the words a nun tending to the wounded let slip.
She shed tears at the miraculous beauty unfolding before her eyes and recited verses from the Bible.
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley... I will fear no evil, for you are with me..."
The sound grew louder and louder.
Enough to drown out the screams of the city and the strange roars of the monsters.
The voice imbued with golden light seemed to warm the entire city.
"Courageously... fight."
And so, someone followed along with the hymn.
"Against those wicked... enemies!"
And then someone else followed.
Creating a chain reaction, everyone joined in the chorus.
"Day of Judgment! Day of Destruction! It will come again!!"
Soon victory would be theirs.
The 〈Ability of Hymns〉 changes its effect depending on the specific hymn.
Among the various hymns Ray had been singing incessantly for the past two weeks, "Fight the Demons" was extremely simple, but it had a more powerful effect than any other.
Valor. A hymn that boosts courage.
It lifted the citizens who had felt fear towards the monsters and had inwardly surrendered, back onto their feet.
"Glo~ry! Glory! To Sol Invictus~us!"
""Glo~ry! Glory! To Sol Invictus~us!!""
And here.
There was a being who could bind the holy power amplified through the chorus into a single force.
"My Savior Sol Invictus is my refuge, my fortress. His is the glorious name in whom I trust!"
The moment Bishop Yuna, who had recovered her strength, manifested the Power of Protection, a barrier of light unfolded to drive away the unholy.
"Kick!"
"Huh?!"
As the barrier expanded, the Alpha Demonic's massive body was pushed back.
But Ray and Aaron, and Jenny and Henry who were blocking the entrance, were not affected.
Rather, the barrier simply drew a boundary between the Demonics and the humans.
"Kick! Kick!"
The Alpha Demonic, pushed back to the entrance by the barrier, gnashed its teeth.
But it was only a temporary barrier. All it had to do was climb over the barrier again.
However, the Demonic did not know.
Ray held the golden star necklace.
That it was still pouring out brilliant golden light.
"Really... to have such power. This 'Power' thing can do anything."
Ray held the golden star necklace in his hand, which revealed its original form as the gold plating fell off.
He knew that this necklace, given to him by that hip old man he met at the blacksmith's, was no ordinary item, but he never imagined it would have 'that kind' of power.
"Really? Is it true? The 'golden star' created by the Golden Saint really changes its form if you earnestly wish?"
To this, the Holy Spirit nodded.
It was the Holy Spirit that had resided in the golden star for this one miracle.
Just one miracle.
That the miraculous power given to protect Ray Anderson, who was designated as a candidate for sainthood, would manifest as he willed it.
"Alright, let's believe in it."
Ray tightly gripped the golden star necklace.
The golden star necklace that materialized what the user desired, what they desired most earnestly.
He couldn't be sure if it could defeat the Alpha Demonic, which was said to be equivalent to a demon. But...
'I have the data. I saw it once.'
Ray took out a beaker from his pocket. It was the sacred blood he usually kept.
He poured it generously onto the golden star necklace and clenched his fist.
"Sol Invictus! I pray!"
Responding to Ray's wish, the golden star necklace transformed.
The miraculous holy relic, which changed even its nature and form, became what Ray desired.
"......!"
It was too small to be called a 'weapon', it was crude, and it had an unknown spherical shape.
He could only guess that the brass star symbol embedded in the center of the sphere was imitating a holy relic.
"Sol Invictus! Bless this grenade! In your mercy, shatter the enemy to pieces!"
What kind of prayer was that?
Just as everyone around him thought that, Ray's eyes flashed.
"Glory to Sol Invictus!!"
The sphere was thrown.
Immediately after.
Tok!
BOOM!!
The 'some kind of holy grenade' that touched the Alpha Demonic caused an explosion.
***
'It really can do anything.'
Ray stared in awe at the devastated center of the church.
The power of a Stigma that causes miracles.
Among them, when he learned that the golden star, created by the 'Golden Saint', one of the highest venerated figures of the Solar Theocracy, was in his hands, he was half in doubt.
"The Golden Saint... I hope I get that kind of power when my Stigma awakens too."
"Cough! Cough! Damn it, you... never think of using something like that again."
"Oh~ you're okay?"
Aaron, who had been knocked down and couldn't move properly after being hit by the Alpha Demonic without any protection, looked at the shattered entrance with a dumbfounded expression.
"What in the world... is that a bomb? I've never seen a firebomb exert that kind of power..."
"Uh, well..."
‘I wonder if he knows what nitroglycerin is.’
Ray knew that while gunpowder existed in this era, it was only rudimentary black powder.
When he had mentioned 'holy grenades' to Erdio, whom he had talked to without knowing he was the Golden Saint, he was told that it was impossible with the gunpowder they had.
'I don't even know how to make military-grade high-performance explosives.'
Especially since this method was used by the Vatican's great monster extermination organization.
He knew they mixed various other things besides ordinary high-performance explosives.
Ray himself had only used it once against a Vampire Count in his previous life, so he didn't know the details.
'But if it was still materialized, is the golden star's miracle a power based on imagination?'
Materializing imagination, long live miracles.
"Anyway, that takes care of another thing..."
"Ray!"
Just then. An arm suddenly lunged from within the smoke-filled area and struck Jenny.
"Kyaak!"
"Sister!"
Henry flinched and aimed his crossbow. But he quickly turned pale at the figure that emerged from the smoke.
"Crazy..."
It's alive.
The Alpha Demonic.
Although it was covered in burns and its skin was melting, the Alpha Demonic's ferocious momentum had not diminished.
However, it wouldn't survive long.
This was a wounded beast's final struggle.
The problem was that even a graze from that struggle meant death.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
The Alpha Demonic roared and charged.
Henry pulled the crossbow string, but it was less than a toothpick to the Alpha Demonic.
Peook!
Henry took a defensive stance against the swinging fist, but he couldn't endure for even a moment and was slammed into the wall.
"Damn it! Aaron!"
Ray grabbed Aaron by the back of the neck, who couldn't move properly due to his injuries, and threw him towards the interior.
And prioritizing others in front of the Alpha Demonic meant he had to pay the price.
"Ray...!"
A fist coming down with full force.
‘This is bad.’
The strength drained from his legs.
"Too late...!"
Just as he braced for the impact, there was the sound of footsteps from beyond.
Tak tak tak tak!
Along with the sound of kicking off the ground, a humanoid figure appeared from beyond.
It leaped with a jumping ability that was hard to believe was human, and then suddenly attacked the Alpha Demonic, which was focused on Ray.
Sseogeok!
With a chilling sound, the 'knight' landed on the ground.
The Alpha Demonic's melting neck cracked!
Kung!
The Alpha Demonic's massive neck fell to the floor, raising a small cloud of dust.
"......"
The knight, who had launched a swift attack despite wearing full plate armor.
A clearly shining 'aura' shimmered around 'her' sword.
Cheolkuk.
With the sound of metal clashing, the visor of the helmet turned towards Ray.
The voice that echoed from within was an unexpectedly beautiful one.
"......Ray Anderson?"
"Uh, do you know me?"
Just then.
The entrance to the Campbell Church, connected to the city square.
Beyond it, the sun was rising, and the sound of a horn was echoing.
It was the signal that the Holy Knight Order had arrived.
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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